Baseball game



BASEBALL GAME INVENTOR. Har/v5 0/2/15 of) BYM Patented pr. 8, 194iUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BASEBALL GAME Harris Johnson, Brookfield,Ill., assigner to Ralph E. Foster, Brookfield, Ill.

3 Claims.

rIhis invention relates to a baseball game in which a real ball and batare used.

Among the objects of my invention is to provide a baseball game adaptedto be played at home on a table, or in any convenient place on a levelsurface. My game is realistic in that an actual bat and ball are used,with means usable by the player to direct his hits to the bestadvantage. My game has ball catching members properly positioned tocatch balls hit directly at them. The batting mechanism is soconstructed as to permit the ball to be hit to receive sharp blows andto rock to strike and send out on the playing iield another ball at acorrespondingly reduced speed. My game contemplates such other objects,advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and whichare inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawing a preferred form of myinvention, yet I Wish it understood that the same is susceptible ofmodioation and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing, Fig. l is a stop perspective View of abaseball game; Fig. 2 is a front elevational View of the battingmechanism with the ball; Fig. 3 is a detailed perspective view of thecatching member; Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective View of the turntable;Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the ball carrier support; Fig.6 is a perspective view of the flat member, and Fig. 7 is adiagrammatical view of a bat about to be applied to the upper ball.

The embodiment selected to illustrate my invention comprises a board IIl preferably substan- Y tially square in shape with the outer cornerremoved on a diagonal line I I.

Positioned at the inner corner I2 is a batting mechanism I3 which willbe described later in detail. A baseball playing eld I4 is marked on theboard IIJ, with the home plate directly in front of the battingmechanism I3, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. A plurality of spacedball catching members I5 are attached to the board I0 and positionedtorepresent the rst, second and third basemen, the shortstop and theoutelders of a baseball team in the field. These ball catching membersare each preferably formed of a single piece of metal with a ilat baseportion I6, an integral upwardly and forwardly inclined portion I'I andan integral top portion I8, extending forwardly, said top portion IBbeing of slightly less height than the diameter of the ball 25 to beplayed with. When the forward portion oi' the ball strikes the topportion I8, it raises the same slightly and the ball strikes against theforwardly inclined portion I'I, causing the top portion to hold on tothe ball. A fastening member I3 attaches the base portion I6 to theboard I0. Balls caught by the catching members are indicated as Outs onthe board I0.

A plurality of spaced holes 23 are cut in the board IU adjacent theouter portions at the further edges of the playing field. These holeseach bear indicia to indicate the value of a ball received by saidholes, such as hits of one, two, three bases and home runs, and strikes.

A plurality of rails 2| are attached to the board I0 just beyond theholes 2li to prevent a ball from rolling ofi the boar-d.

On the board IIJ between the front lines of the playing eld and thesides of the boards are indicia for the dugouts of the home and visitingteams and indicia for strikes, balls, outs and runs with indicators 22rotatably attached to the board Ill.

The batting mechanism I3 heretofore referred to comprises a turntable 23rotatably attached to the inner corner portion I2 of board I il. Theturntable 23 has a socket 24 adapted to receive a ball 25. The battingmechanism also comprises a ball carrier 26 which has a support 21 withits spaced feet 28 attached to the board I0 on opposite sides of theturntable 23, and spaced upstanding portions 29 joined at their tops byan integral right angle connecting portion 30 extending above and acrossthe turntable 23.

The connecting portion 3D has an opening 3I Vthrough which extends thelower portion of rod 32. To the upper portion of rod 32 is attached aball 33 of rubber or other ysuitable material, the rod 32 extendingthrough the ball 33 substantially at its center. Attached to andsurrounding said rod 32 just above connecting portion 3|] of support 2lis a rocking member 34 having attached to its bottom a washer 35normally resting on top of connecting portion 30 surrounding opening 3|.

A spring 36 is attached at its upper portion to the under part ofconnecting portion 30 and is mounted on and surrounds rod 32. The spring35 is preferably tapered. A washer 3l on rod 32 separates the smallerlower portion of spring 36 from an enlarged lower end or strikingportion 38 of rod 32.

In use a player places the ball 25 in the socket 24 The turntable 23 isturned to suit the direction in which the player desires to aim theball. The player then strikes ball 33 with bat 39, causing the rod 32 torock so that the `striking portion 38 hits ball 25 and knocks it out onto the playing eld. If the ball 25 is caught by one of the catchingmembers I5, it is scored as an out, If the ball rolls into one of theholes 20 it is scored as a single, double, triple, home run or strike asthe indicia for the hole indicates. If the ball is not caught by a`catching member l5 or does not drop into a hole 20, it is scored,unless foul, as a ball. When base hits are obtained, counters 40 in theshape of at members are placed on the appropriate base on the playingfield. The indicators for balls, strikes, outs and runs are used torecord the play. The game continues to be played in accordance with theWell known rules of baseball.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A baseball game comprising a board with a baseball playing eld markedthereon, a plurality of upstanding ball catching devices attached tosaid board and spaced at positions occupied by inelders and outleldersof a baseball team in the eld `and having indicia to indicate outs, aplurality of spaced holes at the outer por-tions of the board havingindicia to indicate different hits and strikes, a turntable rotatablyattached to said board, and having a socket to receive a small ball, asupport attached to said board and having a portion extending above saidturntable, said portion having an opening, a rod extending through saidopening in said portion, and downwardly to a point adjacent said socketon said turntable, a spring attached to said support and surroundingsaid rod, a large ball attached to the upper portion of said rod, arocking member attached to said rod and resting on said support so thatupon said large ball being struck with a bat, said rocking member willrock on said support and the lower portion of said rod will strike thesmall ball out from the turntable onto the playing field.

2. In a baseball game a board having means to hold a ball and a playingfield beyond said means, and a batting mechanism comprising a supportattached to the board and having a portion extending above said ballholding means, a

rod extending through said support and down to and adjacent said ballholding means, a spring attached to said support and surrounding saidrod, a larger ball attached to the upper portion of said rod, a rockingmember resting on said support and mounted on said rod, so that uponsaid larger ball being struck with a bat, said rocking member will rockon said support and the lower end of said rod Will strike the rstmentioned ball onto the playing field.

3. A baseball game comprising a substantially square board with abaseball playing field marked thereon, a plurality of resilientupstanding ball catching members attached to said board and spaced atdesired positions, said members marked to indicate outs, a plurality ofspaced holes at the outer lportions of the board having indicia toindicate hits and strikes, a turntable rotatably attached to said boardat one of Ithe corners thereof, said turntable having a socket toreceive a ball, a support having spaced feet attached to said board,said support having spaced upstanding portions and a connecting portionjoining said upstanding portions, said connecting portion extendingabove and across said turntable, said connecting portion having anopening, a rod extending through said opening and downwardly with anenlarged bottom portion to and adjacent the socket on said turntable, alarger ball attached to the upper portion of said rod, a spring attachedto the connecting portion of the support and surrounding and mounted onsaid rod, a Washer normally resting on top of said connecting portionadjacent the opening therein, a rocking member attached to said rod andto said Washer, said washer and rocking member adapted upon said largerball being struck with a bat to rock on said connecting member and causethe enlarged bottom portion of said rod .to strike the rst mentionedball onto the playing field, and a plurality of rails attached to saidboard at its outer edges to prevent the ball from rolling oil the board.

HARRIS JOHNSON.

